Innovate.AI: a Global Startup Competition

A global competition for startups harnessing the power of A.I. & machine learning.

Helping high-potential startups gain access to capital and further the development of A.I. to solve problems and improve people’s lives.

The 3 winning startups receive a $1,000,000 USD investment, with a total prize pool valued at $5,500,000 USD.

3 Regional Competitions Around the Globe

Top applicants from each region will compete in live local pitch competitions in Seattle, Tel Aviv, and London*, with 1 winner in each region. We are proud to host this competition and co-invest in the winners with the following partners:

North America

Europe

Israel

Prizes

1st Place Three (3) Total Winners

A $1,000,000 investment USD split between Microsoft Ventures & our VC partners, along with $500,000 USD in Azure credits for 3 years, 100 Office 365 licenses for 1 year, and an Azure Standard support plan.

A.I. For Good One (1) Winner

A $500,000 USD investment from Microsoft Ventures, $500,000 USD in Azure credits for 3 years, 100 Office 365 licenses for 1 year, and an Azure Standard support plan.

The A.I. For Good Prize will be given to the top finalist globally that is responsibly harnessing the promise of A.I. to positively impact people’s lives and the world. Examples include: increasing access to education, teaching new skills and creating jobs, enhancing the capabilities of existing workforces, and improving the treatment of diseases. (For additional context, please refer to our A.I. Fund Announcement in December 2016.)

Eligibility Requirements

In order to qualify for the competition, companies must meet the requirements in the official rules.

These include:

Headquartered in North America, Europe (E.U.) or Israel.

Have raised less than $4,000,000 USD (local equivalent using foreign exchange rates on dates of funding).

Your company must currently offer or intend to release a product, service, or platform which utilizes A.I. and/or machine learning techniques.

Timeline

FAQs

A group of judges from Microsoft Ventures and the partner VC firms in each region will each vote on the top 10 entries in reach region based on the following criteria:

Problem addressed

Market size and growth potential

Differentiated/disruptive solution

Performance and traction with customers

Ability of founding team to execute

The names of judges for each live competition will be announced closer to the dates of the finals. Each panel of judges will consist of professional investors from the sponsoring VC firms and domain experts in A.I.

Companies must offer a product, service or platform which utilizes M.L./A.I. techniques as defined by relevant scientific research. Such a product must be based on a model developed by the company, and/or be trained with data obtained/generated by the company or a 3rd party, and/or make use of pre-trained M.L./A.I. APIs.

All finalists will be responsible for securing their own travel to the competitions, but Microsoft will provide up to 2 hotel rooms in the host cities.